When Good Actors Go Bad: The 10 Most Infamous Celebrity Crimes of All Time

Celebrities. We idolize them and put them on a pedestal, but deep down, they are just like us regular human beings. Unfortunately, some human beings commit crimes.

Do a quick search for celebrity mugshots and you’ll see that there’s no shortage of famous people who have found themselves in trouble with the law.

From drug charges to armed robberies, sexual crimes, and even murder cases, celebrities have done it all. Here are 10 of the most scandalous celebrity crimes of all time.

10 Infamous Celebrity Crimes

Some of these you’ve definitely heard about before, while others you might find shocking. Let’s find out more about famous people who committed crimes and got caught!

1. Bill Cosby

Some celebrity crimes become so public that when you hear their name, the first thing that comes to mind is their case. Bill Cosby is definitely one of those names.

He was the first celebrity to end up in jail due to the #MeToo movement. In 2018, Cosby was found guilty of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman 14 years prior. After her, 59 other women came out with similar accusations.

Cosby received a sentence of 3 to 10 years in prison, which he started in September of 2018.

2. Snoop Dogg

If we asked you how many times you think Snoop Dogg has faced drug possession charges, what would you say?

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Well, the answer is five. He even has cases overseas: in 2007, after taking a urine test in Sweden, authorities arrested him for suspected drug use.

The rapper was also accused of murder in 1993 when a member of a rival gang was fatally shot by his bodyguard from a car that Snoop was driving. However, he received an acquittal three years later.

3. Courtney Love

In 2003, the police found the lead vocalist of the band Hole breaking windows in the middle of the night. She faced with drug charges but ended up not going to jail. Instead, she went into a drug rehab center.

Even so, Love kept up her violent tendencies. In 2004, another female rock singer accused Love of assaulting her with a liquor bottle, which she threw at the victim’s head.

4. Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart, the American TV personality known for her cooking, gardening and decorating tips, served five months in jail in 2004.

The reason? Fraud. Stewart conspired with her broker to obstruct justice and lied about why she sold her ImClone stock to him in 2001.

5. Matthew Broderick

Back in 1987, the American actor was in a fatal car accident where two people ended up losing their lives.

Broderick was on a holiday in Ireland, where you’re supposed to drive on the left lane, the opposite of what you do in America. He ended up crashing head-on into another car and the two people in it didn’t survive.

He was initially sentenced to five years in jail but, with no incriminating evidence found, he ended up only paying a fine of $175, which shows how a car accident lawyer can help in situations like this.

6. Chris Brown

In 2009, photos of Rihanna, Brown’s girlfriend at the time, emerged showing bruises on her face on the Internet. The female singer even had to go to the hospital due to how aggressive the physical altercation got.

The police accused Brown of domestic violence, to which he pleaded guilty, resulting in 6 years of probation.

That verdict did not calm his violent ways. In 2011, the R&B singer broke a window in a dressing room, and in 2013 he punched a man in front of a hotel in Washington, resulting in charges for felony assault.

7. OJ Simpson

The infamous OJ Simpson case was one for the ages. Out of all the celebrity criminals we’re listing, this one is probably the most talked about one. It even led to the creation of numerous books and documentaries.

In 1994, police found Simpson’s wife, Nicole Simpson Brown, dead. OJ quickly became a suspect due to a massive amount of physical evidence against him. But in 1995, he ended up getting acquitted.

However, Simpson did go to prison for a robbery case in which he was involved with in Vegas back in 2007. He was initially sentenced to 33 years but received an early release in 2017.

8. Lil Kim

In 2006, Lil Kim made headlines for perjury and conspiracy crimes.

The Grammy-winning rapper got a one year and one-day sentence in prison (and fined $50,000) after she lied to a federal grand jury to protect two of her friends. Lil Kim stated that she did not see them at a shootout scene, but security photos and two witnesses ended up proving otherwise.

The rapper got lucky with her sentenced because initially, she faced a maximum of 20 years in jail.

9. Mick Jagger

With sex, drugs and rock’n’roll as their motto, The Rolling Stones were the ultimate bad boys, and Mick Jagger stayed true to that image.

In 1967, Jagger found himself in trouble for drug use at a party with fellow bandmate, Keith Richards. In 1968, he received a charge for marijuana possession with his girlfriend, Marianne Faithfull. And in 1972, he got into a fight with a photographer, once again with Keith Richards.

10. 50 Cent

Our last celebrity criminal is 50 Cent, who has gotten into trouble for drug-related crimes as well as physical assault cases.

In 1994, the rapper sold cocaine to an undercover police officer. Three weeks later, the police found heroin, cocaine and a pistol in his home, which resulted in a sentence of 3 to 9 nine years in prison. However, 50 Cent ended up only staying 7 months in a youth boot camp.

In 2013, the rapper was accused of assaulting an ex-girlfriend and ended up with five charges: one of domestic violence and the other four of vandalism.

No, Celebrities Are Not Perfect

We see them as special and sometimes even as role models, but after reading these 10 cases of celebrity crimes, it’s clear to see that that’s not always a good idea.

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